


Much Ado About Dorm Parties

by stressmuffin



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Relationships, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24398044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressmuffin/pseuds/stressmuffin
Summary: Leslie Knope expects a lot out of things out of college, but getting written up barely two months into the school year isn't one of them, especially when she isn't even guilty. She detests a certain frowny-faced RA because of this, vowing that she'll hate him forever.
Relationships: Andy Dwyer/April Ludgate, Ann Perkins/Chris Traeger, April Ludgate & Donna Meagle, Chris Traeger & Ben Wyatt, Donna Meagle & Ann Perkins, Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins, Leslie Knope & April Ludgate, Leslie Knope & Donna Meagle, Leslie Knope & Ron Swanson, Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, Mark Brendanawicz/Leslie Knope, Tom Haverford & Donna Meagle, Tom Haverford & Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, Tom Haverford & Leslie Knope
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter One

For Leslie Knope, college was a lot of things. College was the road to her dream career in government, working as a very respectable figure who maintained a lot of control over the management of parks. College was where she would meet her people, the ones that would be her friends for the rest of her life, the ones she’d invite to her wedding, the ones she’d want to live in the same neighborhood as when they all grew up and decided to start their own families. College was where she would meet her lifelong best friend, at least, another lifelong best friend; Ann Perkins was currently, and always would be, her best friend forever. To Leslie, she loved college solely because of these ideas she had built in her head.

What she didn’t love about college? The absolutely insufferable mini parties that Tom Haverford from three doors down loved to throw every Thursday. Not even on Fridays, specifically Thursdays. Or as he liked to call them: _Thirstdays_.

On that particular evening, Leslie was focused on reviewing for the unit test she had for her Poli-Sci 101 class that following Wednesday. Although her professor wasn’t even completely finished with the last few topics they had to learn before he passed out the study guide, Leslie took it upon herself to read ahead and compile her own review material. April, one of her suitemates, thought she was crazy for this. Her other suitemate (and bestest friend in the whole wide world), Ann Perkins, knew that this was just the way Leslie rolled.

This is exactly why Leslie eventually threw down her flashcards onto her desk, storming through April’s room and into Ann’s, her face beet red and her hands balled into fists at her side. Thankfully, Ann didn’t have a boy in the room today; It wouldn’t have been the first time that Leslie burst in on Ann while she was in more… compromising positions.

“I’m going to call the RA on duty right now Ann. I hate him and he’s loud and small and I will crush him with my bare hands if I have to.”

Ann looked up from anatomy textbooks, half a headphone dangling above her shirt while the other was in her right ear. “Have you asked him to keep it down?”

Leslie was quiet, which was enough of an answer for Ann. “But Ann, he never listens! Can I PLEASE just call the RA on him and let him get written up? Just this once?” She pleaded, eyes glinting with desperation.

It was true, whenever Leslie knocked on his door to ask if he and his roommate, Jean Ralphio, could stop being so loud, they just told her to join the party. She’d also be subject to a very uncomfortable few seconds featuring Jean Ralphio hitting on her by coming up with a poorly made rap about her name on the spot.

Ann, also the receiver of several poor attempts at flirting, but from Tom, grimaced as she recalled the last few encounters that Leslie told her about. She opened her mouth to respond, but April Ludgate, their younger, but scarier suitemate, poked her head into the room. Her face was void of emotion, as usual, but she carried an air of more annoyance this time.

“If we put him on a barbecue and threaten to burn him alive, maybe he’ll stop.”

“No, April.” Leslie’s lips were pursed as she didn’t even turn to look over at the younger girl, but she could still sense her glowering at the back of her head. “Fine, I’ll try again. But he won’t listen. And I’ll come in here and tell you that he didn’t listen again. And then I’ll call the RA on duty.”

Ann seemed to approve of the idea, and Leslie whirled around, walking into April’s room again but to go out through the main door. As soon as she stepped into the main hallway, the horrible EDM beats from the end of the hall greeted her, and a scowl burst onto her features. Frustrated, and very determined, Leslie marched down to Tom’s room before knocking smartly on his door.

The voices and the music seemed to settle down, and she could hear the clinking of bottles muffled behind the door. Slowly, the door opened, Jean Ralphio’s familiar face appearing in the crack. He stared above Leslie, probably expecting a much taller, intimidating RA, but came to no avail. It was only when he looked down that he noticed her, and a smile broke out onto his features. “Oh, thank god, we thought we were busted.”

She opened her mouth to tell him that they were about to be if they didn’t keep it down, but she was rudely interrupted by him grabbing her arm and yanking her into the room, grinning madly. Leslie recognized some of the individuals who were perched on Tom’s bed. Shauna from her Media 101 class gave her a shy wave.

“Leslie Knope is finally here to party with us!” Jean Ralphio announced, throwing an arm around her shoulders and wobbling. His other hand clutched a bottle, probably a Mike’s Hard, she assumed based off of the citrus-y smell that his clothes reeked of. She pushed him off of her, giving him a death glare.

“I am NOT here to party with you,” Leslie hissed, staring daggers down at Jean Ralphio before redirecting her gaze to Tom Haverford who was leaning against the wall like his life depended on it. “I came here to tell you guys to keep it down before we all get in trouble! I’m trying to study for my Poli-Sci test, and it’s hard to even think when-“

“RA on duty, can everyone step out into the hall for me please?”

Leslie, unamused, turned to look at Jean Ralphio again. “You’re not funny! You’ve pulled that trick on me enough times whenever I’m playing Sarah McLachlan in my room. I’m not falling for it this time.”

But Jean Ralphio wasn’t even looking at her, he was staring like a deer caught in headlights at the doorway behind them, his arm now behind his back in attempts to conceal the alcohol. It was only in that moment that Leslie realized that she never heard him close the door behind her.

“Come on,” rang out the voice again, sounding more irritated than before. “Don’t make this harder on us, the sooner you all step out into the hall, the sooner this is over with.”

***  
Out of all things Leslie expected to happen today, standing outside in the hall with Jean Ralphio, Tom Haverford, Shauna Malwae-Tweep, and a few others waiting her turn to get written up was not one of them. She was shaking next to Tom, who was trying to protest against the RAs, insisting that none of them were breaking any rules.

Somehow, they managed to hide the alcohol from view. Jean Ralphio, who shoved Leslie in front of him, tossed his own bottle into a pile of blankets behind the door. As for as the RAs could see, there was no underage drinking going on in the room. However, they were guilty of being ridiculously loud an hour past the dorm instituted quiet hours.

There were two RAs who were reprimanding them. One was friendlier looking, a pained smile on his face as he waved them out into the corridor, an apologetic look in his eye as he asked them all to pull out their IDs. The other was significantly less pleasant. He was scowling the whole time at them as he stood behind the former RA, giving them, specifically Jean Ralphio, a severe stare.

“Excuse me,” Leslie managed to spit out once the first RA was looking at her ID. “I’m sorry, Mr. RA-“

“Chris Traeger,” he said, giving her a weak smile. “What seems to be the problem, Leslie Knope?”

She gave a sidewards glance to Jean Ralphio and Tom, both of whom seemed particularly fascinated by their shoes. “I’m sorry, Chris – Um, I can call you Chris, right? Well, I wasn’t even involved in this. I’m from just a couple doors down, I actually came to tell them to be quiet, but I was- “

“I’ve heard that excuse a dozen times before, it isn’t going to work,” piped up Frowny RA, glancing at Leslie with an exasperated expression. “You were in the room when you were caught, and you were actually one of the loudest voices I heard while we were walking down the hall.”

Leslie was dumbfounded, staring at him in shock. “If you heard my voice, then you heard what I was saying too! I was literally telling them- “

“What you were telling them doesn’t matter. Regardless of why you were in here, you were being just as loud, if not, louder. Therefore, you weren’t following quiet hours,” he continued, straightening his posture and looking down at her with crossed arms.

She turned her eyes back to Chris, hoping that the much nicer RA would take her side. He didn’t. He remained quiet as he handed her ID back, avoiding her gaze as he moved on to take Shauna’s. Leslie’s blood was boiling. She didn’t think she could get anymore mad, Tom and Jean Ralphio did a pretty good job of pushing her to that point. However, Mr. Stiff-Haired RA somehow managed to provoke her even more.

If she weren’t afraid of getting written up for even more, Leslie would have yelled at him for interrupting her. For treating her like… like some rule-breaker! She wasn’t a rule-breaker. She was a rule-maker if anything. Just ask Ann and April down the hall, there was a set of rules taped to the inside of their door!

Leslie glowered at the floor as she waited for Chris and Jerkface RA were finished. Tom and Jean Ralphio’s friends dispersed, mumbling gloomy goodnights before they went back to their respective rooms and floors. She didn’t even bother saying anything to the two boys as she stormed away, angrily yanking her keys out of her pocket as she attempted to unlock the door to her shared triple. It took her three tries to get it to open, she was so angry that she could barely see straight.

April looked up at her with a curious expression when she stormed in, and she seemed to have started to say something, but Leslie was already in her own room before her voice filled the air. She was crumpled on her bed, curled up in a ball as hot tears stung at her eyes. How could she get written up?

“Leslie?” Ann’s voice cut through her thoughts, and Leslie peeked through blankets towards the door. She could barely make out her best friend’s head poking into the room, but it was clear that she was there to comfort her. “Are you okay? Did Jean Ralphio step past the line this time? I can sic April on him if you want me to.”

Leslie shook her head, feeling the angry tears coming on again. She blinked rapidly in attempts to make them go away. “I got written up,” she mumbled, just loud enough for Ann to hear.

“What?” Ann was in disbelief, and Leslie felt her stomach sink even more. “Why were you written up? They were the ones throwing a party.”

She sat up, the blankets falling off of her as she gave Ann a sullen look, her bottom lip quivering. She tried to elaborate more, but she was just too angry to even articulate her words. Luckily, Ann was aware of this, giving her time to put her thoughts together. “The RAs said we were being too loud, and apparently, I was one of the loudest. But I was telling them off!”

Leslie crossed her arms, almost hugging herself as she continued to speak. “And then one of the stupid mean RA’s told me that I was using an excuse, and what I was saying didn’t matter. And I hate him Ann! I hate Tom, Jean Ralphio, and stupid, jerkface RA with his stupid floppy hair.”

“Let’s kidnap him and put him on a boat in the middle of the ocean,” piped up April, scaring them both to death as she leaned against the doorway. “I can probably find him right now. We can tie him up and send him away.”

Leslie’s mouth twitched at this, but she shook her head again, feeling her anger subside. “No, April. Kidnapping people is illegal.”

“And immoral,” added Ann, who looked much less amused.  
April frowned at both of them, staring pointedly. “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t try to help you,” she drawled, turning and retreating towards her bed.

Ann sucked in a breath, turning to Leslie and putting a hand on her knee. She gave her a sympathetic smile. “It’s one write-up, Leslie. Not a suspension. Not an expulsion. Hell, you weren’t even caught drinking! You’ll be fine, I promise.”

Leslie wasn’t convinced, but she’d be lying if she said Ann’s words weren’t comforting. Only slightly. Slowly, she managed to nod, giving her best friend a tight-lipped smile. “Okay,” she finally said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. “I appreciate you Ann, you wonderful combo of sugar, spice, and everything nice.”

“And I appreciate you!” Ann got up to move towards the door. “Get some rest. Your test review won’t be going anywhere,” she said, nodding her head towards the flashcards on Leslie’s desk.

She sighed, giving her a half-convincing, “Okay.” That seemed to satisfy Ann since she turned off the lights and closed the door before leaving.

Flopping back onto her bed, Leslie stared at the ceiling, the dark outline of tiles still visible in the dark. She processed the previous events once more in her head, scowl prominent on her features again. However, it didn’t take long for her to doze off. Being angry for the past thirty minutes was exhausting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie runs into a certain frowny RA while getting coffee.

While the pain of getting written up managed to subside after a few days, Leslie was still furious with Tom and Jean Ralphio. Thankfully, they had enough sense to not even try anything when she was mad, but today was an exception. They were standing outside of her door when she was leaving for her Statistics 201 lecture, both of them clutching a Styrofoam box. It was nearly a week since the whole RA debacle, but Leslie still felt the anger boiling in her stomach whenever she saw either of the boys in the hall, which was every day.

“I don’t want your stupid pity waffles,” she spat, shoving past them and starting towards the doors. She was lying, there wasn’t anything that waffles couldn’t fix, especially for Leslie, but she didn’t want to forgive them just yet. Or ever.

“Come on, Les!” cried out Jean Ralphio, and she could hear his much heavier footfalls trailing after her, Tom’s much quieter footsteps also not too far behind. “We didn’t mean for that to happen! See, we would’ve cleared up your name-“

“But you didn’t.”

“But Mr. Stiff Hair didn’t give us the chance!” he continued, ignoring her interjection.

Leslie didn’t even bother turning to look at him or Tom. She clenched and unclenched her fists at her side before stepping out into the common area of her floor. She was irritated by the still noticeable presence of the boys behind her as she waited for her elevator. She truly hated being on the 11th floor at this very moment. “Just go away.”

“No.” Tom piped up.

“Fine, follow me to STAT-201. See if I care.”

This seemed to do the trick, there were several beats of silence before she heard them walking away, their key cards scanning and the doors behind her opening slowly. After what felt like a good amount of time, she shifted to look over her shoulder. They were gone and that knot in her stomach was gone too. Her elevator arrived when she blinked again, and she stepped inside, feeling much lighter.

***  
Leslie absolutely detested math. While her grades were far from failing, she still didn’t do nearly as well as she wanted to. As she expected herself to. Frustration settled in her body as one of her eyes twitched, copying down the notes on the board, hanging onto her professor’s every word. Although this was routine, Leslie still found herself struggling just as much as she was during the previous lecture, which was incredibly annoying since she made a point to try and teach herself things that she didn’t quite understand during her in-between days.

She left the lecture hall feeling just as confused, if not, more so. Cool wind bit at Leslie’s cheeks as she walked towards the student center, determined to get a cup of sugar-loaded coffee. It was about time for another all-nighter, losing herself in numbers and percentages in yet another attempt to make statistics click in her head.

Thankfully, the line wasn’t too long when Leslie stepped into the student center. Just about three or four other kids in front of her, and there was more than enough staff buzzing around behind the coffee counter. She whipped out her phone to look at the time, wondering if she needed to adjust her itinerary for the night by just a couple minutes. She didn’t, she was still right on schedule to showing up at her dorm again at 3PM.

While waiting, she shot a few texts to Ann, telling her that tonight was another study-till-you-drop night and asking if she wanted any coffee. Ann responded immediately, asking for a white mocha. Right on time too, it was her turn to order. Looking up, Leslie was smiling brightly, but her smile faded immediately at the sight of the barista. “Oh. Hi, Jeremy.” 

Jeremy Jamm, one of the most insufferable people Leslie has come across, was giving her a shirt-eating grin. “Hey, Kuh-Nope,” he said, purposefully mispronouncing her name. “What can I get for ya? My number perhaps? A night out on the town with me, future orthodontist extraordinaire?”

She wrinkled her nose, choosing to ignore his comments. Tom and Jean Ralphio were enough for the day, she didn’t want to get into it with someone else. “Can I please have an iced caramel brulee coffee, heavy on the caramel and whipped cream? And a white mocha.” 

Clearly, Jeremy was annoyed by her rebuff, but he didn’t say anything more. His voice was clipped for the rest of their interaction, impatiently drumming his fingers as she paid. Even though she didn’t want to, she tipped him 12% before signing off her name and standing off to the side to wait for her order. 

Leslie was about to go pull out her phone again to check on the time, and also to text Ann to update her about her encounter with Jeremy. She was mid-sentence while typing when an annoyingly familiar voice rang out just from a few feet away, ordering a plain black coffee. Glancing up, she was greeted with the sight of Jerkface RA from last week, who already seemed to have paid and was walking in her direction. He didn’t seem to notice her, he was putting his card back in his wallet, but she was already glaring by the time he looked up. 

Neither of them said anything, they both stood an arm’s length away from each other, and Leslie was tempted to step back even more. She didn’t, but she sure wanted to. Huffing, she looked back down at her phone, furiously texting Ann. 

[ text to ‘tropical fish’: ANN JERKFACE IS HERE AND I WANT TO PUNCH HIS STUPID FACE! ]  
[ text to ‘tropical fish’: HE ORDERS BLACK COFFEE… HE WOULD. PROBABLY A BUSINESS MAJOR, BUT NOT LIKE TOM AND JEAN RALPHIO. HE’S ONE OF THE BORING ONES. ]  
[ text to ‘tropical fish’: i hate him. i’m speechless rn. ]

Ann’s typing bubble popped up, but Jerkface cleared his throat loudly. She could feel his gaze on her, and her mouth was in a thin, hard line. “What?” she snapped, eyes flickering up to the taller boy. “Are you here to write me up because of my coffee order too?”

Much to her delight, he seemed taken aback by this. He didn’t look nearly as scary as he did the other night, and her relished in the fact that she manage to get to him already. Leslie raised her eyebrows expectedly, waiting for his response. After several seconds, he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Jeremy’s brash voice. 

“Iced caramel brulee coffee, heavy on the caramel and whip, and a white mocha!” 

Leslie made a point to shove past Jerkface, grabbing the cups abrasively and marching away, going down the stairs and heading to the back exit of the student center. **Leslie:** One. **Jerkface RA:** Zero. At least, it seemed that way until she heard another set of footsteps. 

_Please don’t be Jerkface, please don’t be Jerkface._

A familiar figure came into her peripheral vision. A familiar, tall, stiff-looking figure. She was scowling again, stomach churning angrily at his reappearance. She hoped that maybe he’d take the hint and go away, she didn’t feel like walking with anyone, let alone the ash who wrote her up for trying to loudly do her duties as a good dorm hall citizen. He didn’t go away. 

It was silent between the two of them, and incredibly tense. Leslie was uncomfortable as they stepped out into the cool winter air again. Maybe if she walked faster, he’d talk the hint. He didn’t try to catch up with her, but he was still following her. If it were anyone else, she’d be creeped out and gripping on the pepper-spray she had in her coat pocket. However, he carried himself differently. He didn’t radiate the energy of someone with more sinister intentions, he was just incredibly annoying. 

After a block or two, dodging bicycles and students who were coming down their path, she finally turned around, angry. “You know, I’m not going to break any rules while walking back to my dorm!”

Again, he was surprised, but much less surprised than before. “I live in the same building as you?”

Oh. Embarrassment washed over Leslie, and her cheeks flushed. She hoped that he’d assume it was just the cold air making her face that rosy. “Well…” She trailed off, struggling to find the words to say. “Well, go the other way!”

“But-”

“Go!” 

Jerkface opened his mouth to argue, but she gave him an angry look again. For the second time in the past fifteen minutes, she’s rendered him speechless. Pride swelled in her chest as he crossed the street, walking down the other sidewalk parallel to her. He was staring at the ground, and this time, Leslie was confident in saying that she won. It was even better when they both got to their building, and he opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator. In reality, he probably just lived on the second or third floor, but she liked to believe that he was too scared to go into the elevator with her. She was still in high spirits as she stepped out of her elevator, bringing out her key card and going into her respective hallway and walking past Tom and Jean Ralphio’s door which was wide open. 

They greeted her hesitantly as she walked past with a bounce in her step, and she wasn’t even annoyed with them this time. “Hey!” 

Leslie was in her room before she knew it, and she poked her head into Ann’s room, smiling brightly at the sight of her best friend. “Here ya go, white mocha for the best future nurse in the world!” 

Ann gave her a look, eyebrows jumping up at her sudden mood change. “Are you okay? Your texts weren’t this cheerful fifteen minutes ago.” 

“I’m doing wonderful, Ann, just wonderful.” She took a long sip of her coffee, the sugar already taking its effect as she bounced in place, pumped up because of shutting down Jerkface RA and because of their night of studying till they dropped. “I totally shut down Jerkface RA because he came up to me to say something I think, but I didn’t even let him say what he was going to. It was so good, you should’ve seen the look on his face Ann! He was like… ‘Huh?’ and I was like ‘Yeah, that’s right’, and then Mark from my Composition class came in and was like ‘Wow, that was so cool, I love you Leslie’, and then we kissed in fron of Jerkface and now we’re getting married.” 

“You and Jerkface are getting married?”

“No, Mark and I! Weren’t you listening Ann?” Leslie finally stopped her babbling to take in a deep breath, cheeks rosy again, but this time from her lack of air. It was only for a few more seconds that she was quiet before she continued to speak. “I’m just kidding, the Mark part didn’t happen. But I totally won Ann! I won.”

Ann was giving her a look, a look that she didn’t like. Leslie shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. “What did you win, Leslie?”

That was a good question. It wasn’t really a contest, or a fight. Not in the slightest. To be entirely honest, Leslie wasn’t sure why she was so proud, and gloating this much. “I dunno,” she finally said, sheepishly looking away. “I just won. That’s all.” 

“It’s true! I saw her win. The prize is a new roommate, time to pack your bags Ann!” April called out from the next room, snickering to herself. 

Leslie sighed, rolling her eyes before responding. “Not funny, April! That’s not true Ann, you know it isn’t.”  
Ann nodded, laughing at Leslie’s sudden change in tone. “I know, Les. Now, do you wanna study in here, or the common room?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jerkface RA has a name, and Ann thinks Chris Traeger is very cute.

Jerkface RA was long forgotten as soon as the three girls set up shop in the common room, their notebooks and textbooks littering one of the long tables. Sarah McLachlan was blasting until April got annoyed and put on her playlist of Old Halloween Sound Effects. Leslie and Ann’s protests were unsuccessful, mostly because April made a point in threatening to bite whoever even tried to change the ambience. 

Every now and then, others from their floor would filter in and out. Shauna Malwae-Tweep from the other side of the hall sat with them for thirty minutes or so before Tom came out and whisked her away to his room. Apparently, he was her practice person for her first journalistic interview. “I don’t know why she picked Tom,” Leslie grumbled as she highlighted her notes from that day. “I want to be the first female president.” 

“It’s because Shauna’s actually lying about who she is. She’s the reincarnated Zodiac Killer, and Tom’s answers will actually be written in Zodiac code as a clue,” April deadpanned, not looking up from her book. She herself was a criminology major, something she took pride in because it allowed her to potentially enter a career of cutting people open. Leslie and Ann were never sure if she was serious whenever she reminded them of this. 

They continued to work, sometimes taking breaks to talk about their day, or to take turns going down to the vending machine on the first floor and get snacks. Leslie’s favorite thing about ‘Study Till You Drop’ nights was how fast time went by. At least for her. April complained every 45 minutes on the dot about how she wanted to drop out. 

“You can’t drop out, April! You’re bright, and young, and so full of potential!” 

April wasn’t fazed by Leslie’s compliments. “We’re both freshmen, Leslie. And you’re only two years older than me.” 

Leslie hummed, not acknowledging her words. “You’re a baby star ready to supernova and shine like the sun, just like Ann.” 

In her peripheral view, she could see the younger girl grimace before shooting a glare in Ann’s direction. Ann didn’t seem to notice, and if she did, she didn’t acknowledge this. Leslie smiled to herself before going back to focusing on her notes. Okay, probability. It kind of made sense whenever she read the directions, maybe this time she’ll be able to apply it successfully to a problem. 

Leslie was in the middle of googling ‘probability practice problems’ when the familiar sound of the heavy hallway doors opened, and she heard two sets of footsteps amble into the room. Her eyes darted to the time on her computer screen, and her stomach sank. 10PM. The start of quiet hours, which meant the start of-

“RA on duty, just doing our evening walkthroughs!” Another familiar voice chirped, but in a much friendlier way. 

All three girls head’s shot up, turning to look at the presence of the two RA’s. Unsurprisingly, it was Chris Traeger, probably the happiest person in the world, and Jerkface, the complete opposite. Leslie frowned, unconsciously mirroring his expression. He stared at them with a sense of boredom. Actually, he stared at Ann and April. He completely avoided looking in Leslie’s direction. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to look at her or if she was glad he wasn’t. Probably the latter, she’s picked enough conflict for today. 

“How are you lovely ladies doing?” Chris Traeger continues, flashing a billion-dollar smile at each of them, his gaze lingering longer on Ann. Leslie noticed Ann shift in her seat, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. 

“Good! How are you?” Ann replied, voice matching his cheeriness. Leslie turned in her own seat, getting a better view of her best friend. She noticed she was slightly blushing. 

“I am LITERALLY having such a good day. Chris Trager, nice to meet you.” None of them have the time to react to him suddenly bounding forward, shaking each of their hands. Leslie already knew who he was, but shook his hand anyway. She wished she could be mad at him too, but with his optimism, it was impossible. It was like trying to get angry at a puppy. “And this is Ben Wy-”

“Ben’s fine,” Jerkface, no, _Ben_ interrupted, his features turning their own shade of pink. Leslie’s brows knit together as she takes in his suddenly nervous demeanor. He brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck, and he was staring at the ground now. She pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything. 

The silence was unbearable now, and not even Chris could salvage it. At least he was better at taking hints than Ben. “Well, it was just lovely meeting you all today! See you around, and have a wonderful night!” Much to Leslie’s relief, Chris jogged towards the other hallway, flashing his keycard and entering quickly with Ben right on his heels. 

“He was cute,” Ann finally says, smiling widely at Leslie, her eyes sparkling with that familiar gleam. It was the same gleam she had when she first introduced them to Andy (who she promptly broke up with after two weeks, she found out that he was actually the cute boy April was vaguely speaking about from her Biology Lab), the same gleam she had when she dated Mark (another boy she promptly broke up with as soon as she found out that he was cute Mark from Leslie’s composition class), and the same gleam she had when she briefly dated Howard Tuttleman from one of the school’s many radio shows. 

“Ben? Seriously? I mean I _guess_ he’s not bad, but his stupid hair could use some improve-”

“No, Leslie! Chris Traeger. But backtrack for a second. You don’t think Ben’s that bad? Why don’t you go for it, he seems like your type!” 

Leslie made a face at this, her annoyance from earlier resurfacing and making itself clear. Ann seemed to notice, and her face blanched. “Wait, is Ben-”

“Jerkface? Yeah, yeah he is. And I hate him and I always will hate him. He ruined my perfectly clean record, and now I have a stupid write up that the university will see, and it’ll tarnish my political career for the rest of my life and I’ll never become president and I’ll DIE ALONE.” Leslie’s face was red like earlier, but a much angrier shade of red. Even April didn’t try to make a comment. 

There were several beats of silence before Ann broke it, her expression softening. “I’m sorry, Leslie. But again, remember that there’s far worse things you could’ve gotten written up for, it’s an honest mistake! The public doesn’t focus on stupid write-up notices from a politician’s college days. If anything, they expect it.” 

Leslie’s mouth twitched. “But… I don’t want them to expect that from me! I want a squeaky clean record, I want to be the ultimate role model for little girls everywhere! I can’t do that with a noise write-up.” 

“I know, but it already happened, Leslie. The only thing you can do at this point is make sure it doesn’t happen again.” 

She didn’t want to admit it, but Ann was right. Of course she was. Leslie pouted before slowly nodding in agreement, gloomily going back to the probability practice problems she was working on before. The girls studied for an hour and a half longer before they all agreed to head back to their triple, and unsurprisingly, it was yet another night well spent. 

Leslie clambered onto her desk chair, jumping into her welcoming bed. The blankets swallowed her up, and as soon as her head hit the pillow she was out like a light. She dreamt of numbers, percentages, and sweet coffee.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris says a little bit too much, and Leslie is very stressed.

For the third time that week, Leslie has made herself perfectly comfortable in her advisor’s office, much to his chagrin. She could feel his annoyed stares every now and then as she rocked back and forth on his mini bench, clutching her four-year plan binder tightly to her chest. She didn’t even make an appointment, she just walked in, and although Mr. Swanson protested every time she did that, he never made any attempts to kick her out. 

He was typing slowly on his computer, occasionally lifting up a hand to smooth over the tape on the webcam. Occasionally, he’d glance over at Leslie, mouth twitching like he wanted to say something. He never did.  
Still all smiles, Leslie, kicked her legs back at forth, the bottom of her flats scraping across the scratchy texture of the carpet. Mr. Swanson seemed to be trying to ignore her, but it didn’t last much longer. Finally, he spoke up, pausing his excruciatingly slow typing and shifting in his chair. “What do you want, Leslie?”

“I just wanted to go over my next set of classes!” 

Slightly swiveling his chair, Mr. Swanson actually faced her this time. “Your next set of classes? We already decided what you need to take for next semester last week.”

Leslie nodded, earning a bewildered look from Mr. Swanson. “I know!” She answered, bouncing her leg up and down before suddenly moving forward, putting her binder on his desk excitedly. She awaited his reaction as he slowly opened it, flipping through the pages. Hopefully, she would see a glimmer of pride on his usually stoic features. She didn’t. 

“You’re trying to figure out what classes you need for next year so you can fully lean into your…” He lifted turned back to the cover again, reading her large, loopy calligraphy. “Your _**‘Fool-Proof Four Year Plan’**_?” 

Again, she nodded, giving him a toothy grin. “Yep! You see, Mr. Swanson, I want to work in the Parks Department one day. I just love the outdoors and nature, but parks specifically. I want to make a difference. A true, honest to god difference, especially in helping people.”  


This time, Mr. Swanson nods, but she’s not sure if it’s in understanding, or if he just wants her to shut up. She chooses to believe the former. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, he closes her binder, sliding it back towards her. “We can discuss this later, Leslie. You haven’t even finished your first semester yet.” 

***  
Even though she hated libraries, Leslie was studying behind one of the back bookshelves on the very extensive first floor. She wanted to study in her own building, the Muir College for Natural Resources and Hospitality, but today, she found out they were remodeling. Only the classrooms were open, but she didn’t want to sit in a room surrounded by empty desks. She always studied in front of the wildflower mural on the third floor, but as expected, that hallway was closed off too. 

She was already done with her homework for that week, but she was getting started on assignments that were due later. With nothing else to do, why not get ahead and save future Leslie from the hassle? Twirling her pencil in her hands, her eyes scanned the words of her textbook. In this chapter, they were talking about political polarization, something she was already aware of, especially so because of her mother’s constant complaining, but it was still fascinating to learn. 

The unfortunate slamming of books on the spot in front of her startled her out of her focus. Leslie looked up, perturbed and ready to whisper harshly to whoever it was. She was surprised to find Chris Traeger smiling brightly, waving excitedly as he pulled out the chair and sat down. “Leslie Knope! This is LITERALLY such a nice surprise,” he whispers enthusiastically. 

Leslie looked around, very confused, and very afraid, half expecting Ben Wy to round the corner and join them. “Nice to see you too, Chris…” She says hesitantly, still waiting for Ben’s arrival. Enough time passes by for her chest to untighten, and she looks back at a very smiley Chris with an expression of relief. “How are you?”

“I’m doing fantastic. I went for a ten mile run before class, then I had a delightful kale salad for lunch. How about yourself?” 

“I’m good.” Chris didn’t seem to be pleased with her response, his silence prompting her to elaborate. “Just getting ahead on next week’s work,” she added, forcing a smile. As nice as he was, she still felt slightly put off. Probably because he reminded her a little bit too much of herself. 

Thankfully, Chris was happy with this response. “Ah. You sound just like my best friend, Ben! You met him the other night, actually. I remember! I think you’d like him.” 

“No, I don’t think I would,” Leslie found herself saying, regret immediately taking over her body. She felt even worse when she noticed Chris’ expression fall, but only for a split second. He was smiling again before she could mutter out an apology, and he starts to talk again.  


“I’m sorry,” Chris said, voice and expression genuine. “I really didn’t want to write you up, and neither did he, it’s just… Well, you know the rules. But that doesn’t even matter, now! After we left, he actually-” 

Chris wasn’t able to finish his sentence. The fire alarm went off and scared the living daylights out of both of them. They gave each other alarmed books before hastily shoving their books into their bags and making a beeline for the exit. Thankfully, they were on the first floor, so they were able to leave quickly in comparison to the students on the second or third. 

As they stood on the grass outside, Leslie turned to Chris to ask him what Ben did, but he was ogling at the fitbit on his wrist. “Oh gosh, I’m actually low on steps today! I need to fix this. I’ll catch you later, Leslie!” he babbled before turning and speedwalking away. She watched him walk away with disappointment, now her curiosity was really piqued, and she wouldn’t be getting answers anytime soon now. She didn’t even know which floor Chris lived on, and even if she did, he was an RA. Surely, he wouldn’t be in his room 24/7. 

***  
“I think Ben is out to get me,” Leslie said as she poked at the chicken on her plate, appetite non-existent. 

Ann, on the other hand, was almost finished with her salad. April, and her boyfriend Andy, were busy sharing an ice cream cone. It was gross. “Why do you think that?” Ann asked after she swallowed the lettuce she shoveled in her mouth just seconds before. 

She shrugged, poking at her chicken again before finally pushing away her plate with a sigh. “I ran into Chris at the library. We were talking a little bit, and then he mentioned something about Ben and the night I got written up, but the fire alarm went off. I think he was going to tell me that Ben changed my write up and made it worse. He said something about the rules not mattering because of something Ben did.” 

“Well, just because Ben did something doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad,” Ann pointed out, attempting to stab a cherry tomato in her bowl. “Maybe he wrote you up for less. Or maybe he didn’t write you up at all, and just wrote the rest of them up.” 

Leslie gave Ann a deadpan look before reaching out a hand and patting her arm. “Oh, Ann. You naive, but beautiful, land mermaid. There’s no way that Ben Wy has a nice bone in his body. You’ve seen the guy, he looks so angry at the world all the time! Anyone who looks pissed that often can’t be a nice person.” 

Ann didn’t seem so convinced, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to argue back with Leslie. However, April was shoved into her, staining her white sweater with chocolate ice cream. The topic of Ben Wy was dropped immediately as they left the dining hall just minutes later, April giving half-assed apologies while Andy was overcompensating and genuinely begging for forgiveness. 

***  
Without the pressing need to do homework, Leslie fidgeted uncomfortably on her bed as she tried to settle down and watch another history documentary. She couldn’t focus for longer than 5 minutes, and there was a feeling in her chest that gave her the desire to pace for the rest of her life. Usually, during occasions like these, Leslie wouldn’t have hesitated to walk through April’s room and make herself comfortable in Ann’s to vent. However, Ann was still in a sour mood due to one of her best sweaters being stained during dinner, so she decided to give her some space. 

After a fourth attempt at trying to take in the extra bits of knowledge, she finally shut her laptop, leaning off her bed to place it on her desk. If it were still August, she would have decided to go outside for a brisk walk in the cool summer evening air, but it was currently mid-October. The chilling air that nipped at exposed skin wasn’t exactly what Leslie would call relaxing. She stared at the wall as she tried to control her breathing, the nagging feeling still lingering on the back of her neck, but her mind still went miles per minute. She eventually jumped out of her bed, wringing her hands as she grabbed her keys off of her desk and swung open the door, going through April’s to exit into the main hallway. 

Leslie didn’t know where she was going, but she needed to go somewhere. Sitting in place was just letting her curiosity and anxiety stew, she might as well walk the whole thing off. Maybe she could take a page out of Chris Traeger’s book and go for a ten mile run. She scowled at the idea, shaking her head to herself for even thinking of that joke. Running was the worst. The only exceptions were racing or a game of tag. 

For a while, Leslie walked circles around the entire eleventh floor, scanning her key card every few seconds as she walked briskly through the halls. Tom and Jean Ralphio’s door was open, as per usual, and every lap she made, Tom would make a snarky joke about Leslie being Lightning McQueen, trying to win the Piston Cup. If she weren’t so bothered by what Chris said earlier, she would have laughed. 

She doesn’t know how long she was walking, but she almost runs into the RAs who were doing their walkthrough of the night. Geez, was it ten already? At least it wasn’t Chris and Ben, this time. It was another pair of RAs, a tall boy who looked ready to cry or burst any second, and a slightly shorter but well-groomed girl. 

“Hello!” greeted the girl, flashing a smile that reminded Leslie of Chris. “RA on duty, I’m Jennifer Barkley, and this is Greg,” she says, gesturing to the boy. 

Greg looked constipated. “How many times do I have to tell you,” he hissed. “My name is Craig. C-R-A-I-G, Craig.” 

Jennifer didn’t pay any mind to him, starting to walk past Leslie again. “Have a nice night!” She said before rounding the corner, not even bothering to tell one of the loud dorms to be quiet. Craig knocked hard on the door that Jennifer didn’t acknowledge, crying out, “RA on duty! Keep it down,” before jogging after her. 

Leslie watched them disappear into the next hall before they went into one of the staircases, presumably to go to the next floor. She wished Jennifer and Craig were on duty the night she got written up instead.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie didn't get an email, so naturally, she confronts Ben.

Chapter Five

Leslie didn’t even know how Tom and Jean Ralphio managed to make it into April’s room. One second, the room was empty with the exception of April reading a book on her bed, and the next second, the two boys were comfortably sprawled on her floor, complaining loudly about the workshop they had to attend. She herself just came back from filling her waterbottle, and she almost choked on her water as she nearly tripped over Jean Ralphio’s splayed legs in the doorway. 

“Leslie, baby! We missed you today!” Jean Ralphio drawled, pouting up at her and ignoring the face she made at his pet name. “Why weren’t you there? Were you ditching?” 

Confused, Leslie stared at Jean Ralphio, then at Tom. Neither of them elaborated, and she sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, what did I miss?”  
Her stomach sank as she spoke, first getting written up, and apparently missing something that she needed to attend? Could her first college semester get any worse? She might as well turn in a Wikipedia Article and pass it off as her own writing at this point. 

“Oh! The Life in the Halls workshop, duh,” Tom finally explained. “Honestly, good thing you ditched though. I’d say it was a waste of my time if there weren’t so many cute girls there.” He fist-bumped Jean Ralphio, both of them making an explosion sound. 

Leslie was still confused. She's never heard of such a thing. “What is that, is that a club? Oh my gosh, did I sign up for a club and forget to attend the first meeting?” Panic settled on her face and she started to wring her hands. The same sinking feeling from earlier came back, but instead of just her stomach, it was her whole body.

“What? No! It’s the thing we have to do when we’re written up. Did you not get the email?” Tom said, confusion in his voice too. 

Slowly, Leslie shook her head, and she immediately pulled her phone out of her pocket to open the email app. She checked her emails at least once every hour, sometimes twice if she was waiting for something important. She couldn’t have missed such an important email, right? Her eyes scanned the subject titles of each email she received within the past five days, and when that didn’t bring up anything, she went back all the way to two weeks ago, when she was written up. Nothing. “I didn’t get anything.”   
Jean Ralphio and Tom exchanged a look. 

“Uh, are you sure? Check your spam. I almost missed it because I made my email filter everything that didn’t come from Tinder and put it into my spam box,” Jean Ralphio recalled. The boys fist-bumped again.

Just like before, Leslie’s spam box came up empty. “There’s nothing in my spam either,” she breathed out, bewildered. Did she dream the whole thing? No, that was impossible. Jean Ralphio and Tom were quite literally asking her why she didn’t come if she was written up to. Was Ann’s theory right? Her eyes flickered to her best friends door, which was ajar. Stepping over Tom, Leslie poked her head to look at Ann. 

“Ann, there’s been a mistake,” Leslie announced matter-of-factly. “We need to get to the bottom of this.” 

***  
The girls weren’t quite sure what they were looking for. The three of them were currently visiting each floor, walking around and searching for Ben or Chris’ name. They came to no avail for the first five floors of the building, and April was begging to go back to their triple. Neither Ann or Leslie acknowledged this. 

They were about to give up by the time they reached the tenth floor, each of them dizzy from circling each floor like a group of vultures. Maybe Ben and Chris didn’t even exist. Maybe this was all just some sick and twisted dream and Leslie was going to wake up at any moment. They were about to call it quits when April finally called out: “He’s right here!” 

Leslie and Ann weren’t sure which “he” April was referring to. For all they knew, April was just talking about someone Andy was friends with, or she was trying to pull their legs as revenge for not letting her go back to her room sooner. Regardless, they booked it towards the sound of April’s voice, Leslie’s stomach sinking as she took the door in. 

‘Ben’ was neatly scrawled in all-caps on a large circle in the middle of his door. Numerous stickers surrounded it: Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones. Geez. He was a mega-nerd. April seemed to agree with this, taking the words right out of Leslie’s thoughts. None of them were sure what to do, but finally, April knocked hard on the door before running off and disappearing. Leslie and Ann didn’t even have enough time to react before his door swung open, revealing Ben Wy looking very disheveled, his hair messier than usual and a plate with what looked like a poorly shaped hot pocket. 

If they looked alarmed, he looked scared out of his mind. Ben’s gaze flickered between Leslie and Ann for what felt like forever, and the two of them stood there like deers in headlights. Clearly, neither of the girls thought that far ahead and actually considered what to do if he was there.   
“Can I help you?” He finally said, voice raspier than usual. He probably just woke up from a nap. 

Leslie found herself speaking without thinking again. “Where is my Life in the Halls email and why didn’t I get it? I was written up, wasn’t I? So why didn’t I get my email?” Her voice came across as harsher than she meant to, but it was probably because she was so used to snapping at him before. A twinge of guilt resonated in her stomach as she looked at him. He seemed exhausted. 

“I don’t know,” Ben said defensively, irritation on his face before he brought up his other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know, maybe the dorm building higher-ups decided that you weren’t guilty. Why do you care, anyway? Do you WANT to be punished?” 

She was quiet at this, searching his face for something, anything. She didn’t even know what she was looking for, but his answer didn’t seem good enough. “You gave me such a hard time, I’m just wondering why if it was all for nothing. What is it? Do you hate me? Do we secretly have a lecture together and I stole your unassigned assigned seat at the beginning of the year?”

Ann shifted uncomfortably behind her, mumbling that maybe they should just leave. But Leslie didn’t acknowledge it, she stood still, her eyes still fixed on Ben Wy. 

“I don’t hate you, I don’t even know you. Well, I didn’t know you. Now I do. Well-” He stumbled over his words, his mouth still open but nothing else coming out. It was like dejavu, him standing there struggling to formulate a sentence while she stood with her arms folded, waiting for him to respond. 

“You’re a jerk,” Leslie finally said when he didn’t speak again. She wasn’t sure what mix of emotions appeared on his features, but she could at least pinpoint one. Confusion. 

“I’m sorry?”

“You heard me.” 

Ann was standing much closer to Leslie now, and she whispered. “Leslie, I think we should go.” Leslie didn’t need to be told twice, she didn’t know what else to say to Ben anyway. She turned on her heel, Ann following close behind. She didn’t hear his door close until they were in the common area of the tenth floor. 

***  
Several hours later, they were all back in their triple suite. Ann was online-shopping, scrolling on her laptop, and Leslie’s back was against the door frame, a Harry Potter book in hand. It was her fifth reread so far, and she found that the series always managed to help when she had a lot on her mind. Tonight, however...

“I just don’t get it, Ann!” Leslie cried out, slamming her book shut and looking up at Ann who was perched on her bed again. “I don’t get it. Why would he do that if I just wasn’t going to end up actually getting punished?”

Ann also looked tired, rubbing her eyes for a moment before responding. “Maybe he felt bad for being so harsh while you were explaining yourself.”

“Then why does he follow me around like I’m a ticking time-bomb?” Leslie thought back to the other day when he popped up to get coffee at the same time as her. She thought about him walking behind her when she was going back to the dorms, about him looking angry when him and Chris were on duty just a few nights ago. Leslie believed that she was practically the model citizen; She was a good roommate, she threw trash in the right bins, she knew which things were recyclable. Hell, she even cleaned up the common room whenever it was in a disappointing state. He should be following around Tom and Jean Ralphio, not her!

“Maybe he likes you,” drawled April from her own room. Leslie could tell she was sneering, and ignored her remark. That didn’t make any sense. He never said anything nice to her anyway, and their interactions were far from pleasant. He disliked her just as much as she disliked him. 

Ann pursed her lips when she made eye contact with Leslie again, shrugging her shoulders in defeat. “He followed you only once, right? It probably didn’t mean anything, he does live in our building after all.”

“But he could’ve taken any other route! Not the same one that I was taking. At one point, it was almost like he was walking with me, not following. But then we went outside and he fell back.” 

Leslie noticed the cogs in Ann’s head turning, she looked deep in thought for a few moments. However, she didn’t seem to have come up with anything. Anything worth mentioning, at least. The same confused look came across her best friend’s features, and she shrugged a second time. Ann didn’t seem to have any answers, which was defeating. She wish she did. “It’s getting late, you should sleep, Leslie. You’re really worked up about this.” 

Ann wasn’t wrong, she was worked up, and not in a good way. Getting worked up about school, books, television, movies? Perfectly normal Leslie behavior. But getting worked up about a specific person? It happened of course, but not as often. Trouble only came whenever Leslie became hyper-fixated on her dislike of a person, and this probably wouldn’t be any exception. 

She lay awake in bed for longer than usual that night, thinking of all the encounters she’s had with Ben Wy leading up to today. They were playing on a sickening loop, and she was trying to analyze her memories for something she might have missed. Leslie scrunched her face as she remembered Ann’s words from before she left for bed, and she screwed her eyes shut. She was right, thinking about it would only make it worse. After forcing herself to think about waffles for what felt like forever, Leslie finally managed to fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie tags along with Tom and his friend Donna to their annual "Treat Yo Self" day.

Donna Meagle was probably one of the coolest people she’s ever met. She wore top of the line fashion brands (and knew how to style them), carried around a Birkin bag that was to die for, and her pride and joy was her Mercedes Benz. Leslie didn’t know how Donna was this close with Tom out of all people, but she didn’t question it. Instead, she sat silently in the backseat, ogling at the two of them as they babbled excitedly about their “Treat Yo Self” day. 

Tom, excited, and ever so twitchy in the front seat, whipped around with a grin on his face. “Leslie, here’s the deal. Once a year, Donna and I spend a day treating ourselves. What do we treat ourselves to?”

“Clothes!”

“Treat yourself.”

“Massages!”

“Treat yourself.”

“Mimosas!”

“Treat yourself.”

“Fine. Leather. Goods.”

“Treat yourself.”

Donna and Tom exchanged glances as they came to a red light, smiles wide. “It’s the best day of the year!” They borderline-sang, almost harmonizing together. 

Leslie, still confused as to why they brought her, was suddenly filled with excitement. Treating yourself? A new concept, she didn’t treat herself very often (unless it was with waffles), and she didn’t even know what she wanted in the first place. She preferred treating everyone else, giving them gifts that she’s thought about for at least a month in advance. “Can I get myself waffles?”

Tom’s smile disappeared. “Waffles, Leslie? You always have waffles.”

“And it’s always a treat!”

“NO!” Tom slumped down in his seat, letting out a dramatic cry. “Donna! Get her away from me! She thinks treating herself is getting something that she has almost every day!”

Donna looks at the rearview mirror, making eye contact with Leslie and giving her a sympathetic look. “Look, if Leslie wants waffles, who are we to say that she can’t have waffles?” 

Leslie decided that she liked Donna a lot better because of that. If Donna lived down the hall, she probably wouldn’t have gotten written up. Or not written up. She didn’t know, she was still confused by the whole Ben-Write-Up Debacle. The memory of it was enough to bring a frown to her face, and Tom immediately took notice. 

“Fine. You’ve been mopey anyway since the whole write-up thing, I hope this helps,”  
Tom grumbled. 

***  
Leslie’s legs were tired. She didn’t realize that when Tom and Donna said they were treating themselves, they weren’t going to hold back. They took Treat Yo Self day more seriously than she anticipated; They had to have been there for at least two hours. If she weren’t currently curled up on the softest chair in the world, she would’ve made an excuse to go back to her dorm by now.

“Leslie, what do you think?” Donna was sashaying down the mini-hall in front of her, a chic scarf wrapped around her neck, and a very sparkly brooch pinned to her button up. 

“Oh my god, Donna! I love it on you!” 

Donna gave her a wide grin, doing a dramatic bow and curtsy before doing another twirl, looking at Leslie over her shoulder. “Thank you. I love it on me too! I’ll be treating myself.” 

Leslie gave her an equally enthusiastic smile and a double thumbs up. If she could, she’d be treating herself just as much. Unfortunately, her pretzel cart job at the local waterpark over the summer didn’t get her nearly as much money as she anticipated. The only thing it gave her was long hours, a horrible sunburn, and dehydration. She scrunched her nose at the thought. 

“Pssst! Leslie!” A voice hissed from just a few feet away. When she turned, she was surprised to see Tom, holding a set of different blue ties in his hand. “I know this is the ladies’ dressing room, but I need your advice. Which blue do I get?” He held them up excitedly. 

Leslie stared at the ties that Tom held, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “But, they’re all the same blue.”

“No they are not! This is He let out an exasperated sigh, flopping his arms down dramatically. “See, this is Yale blue, this is Aegean blue, this is Oxford…” He started to shuffle through the ties, lifting up each respective tie whenever he said the name. His differentiating didn’t help in the slightest, she still thought they all looked the same. 

“Oh, uh… The third one.” Thankfully, that answer seemed to be the right one, and he did his signature open-mouthed smile. 

“That’s what I was thinking! Thanks Leslie.” 

Before she could respond, Tom had dashed out, and Donna came out from the curtain just a few feet away. She was carrying the set of clothes she came in, her left hand holding the scarf, two flashy looking skirts, the brooch from before, and a beautiful patterned button up. In the right hand, she held everything else she came in with, Leslie assumed those were the clothes she were putting back. 

“So, Leslie,” Donna said as she handed her clothes back to the employee who was working the waiting room. “Explain the write-up incident. Tom touched on it in the car, and it sounds kinda self explanatory, but…”

Leslie felt as though she were punched in the stomach everytime she thought about it, and she swallowed before responding. “Well, Tom and Jean Ralphio were throwing a dorm party, y’know, as they always do.” Donna nodded, rolling her eyes in agreement. “- and I came to tell them to keep it down, I had a test to study for! I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, then this jerk of an RA and his RA friend came and wrote us up. He was just… so infuriating! He interrupted me when I tried to explain my side of the story, he claimed that I was making excuses. His friend was fine, he felt kinda bad and he actually apologized to me the other day, but… Yeah. That’s about it.” 

Donna let out an understanding “Ah,” and remained quiet as they walked up to the line, waiting to check out. “Well, I’m sorry that happened. Tom and Jean Ralphio are just… They’re unique. And they mean well. I mean, Tom does, anyway. Right now, they’re just your classic freshman boys.”

Leslie sighed, her mouth in a thin line as she nodded, uncrossing her arms. She knew the boys never _really_ meant to upset her, or get her in trouble even. They were just incredibly absorbed in their own little bubble, it was hard to get through to them sometimes. “I’m not even mad at them anymore, it’s mostly that RA. I don’t even know what’s going on now, apparently I’m not even being punished.” 

They moved forward in the line, and Donna gave her a bewildered look. “Not being punished? I mean, that’s good, since you weren’t actually a part of it, but how come Tom and Jean Ralphio have to go to a Life in the Halls meeting?” 

“See, that’s what I don’t understand!” She cried out louder than she meant to, earning several annoyed looks from nearby customers. She gave them an apologetic smile before continuing, her voice significantly softer than before. “I went and confronted Jerkface RA and he just… He gave me a really weird answer. And it doesn’t help that his RA friend almost let something slip too. He said something about Ben, he's Jerkface, doing something, but he never finished his sentence.” 

Donna observed her for several moments. “Yeah, that’s really weird. Especially if he gave you such a hard time in the first place. I wonder what changed his mind about writing you up. Maybe he thought you were cute. Boys are weak.” 

Leslie felt her face burning at Donna’s words, her stomach doing flips. The idea of Ben thinking she was cute made her physically ill. “Well, I don’t want him thinking that! He’s not even my type. I hate him, Donna. I hate him, and I would never ever date him in a million years!”

“Slow down, hotshot!” Donna said, raising her hands up, an amused smile on her features. “I never said anything about you having to feel the same way. I’m just stating the obvious, he probably thought you were cute, then he dropped the write-up. Case solved.” 

She opened her mouth to argue back, to insist that Ben Wy had a far more menacing motive, but she was interrupted by Tom suddenly popping up behind them. “Why didn’t you guys tell me you were getting in line? I had to elbow my way up here, you know.” 

The two girls turned to look back and they were greeted by the very annoyed faces of the other customers. Both of them sheepishly smiled, hoping that it would be enough, but it wasn’t. However, Tom didn’t care, he was too busy struggling with the amount of ties and hangers he was holding up. 

***  
Much to Leslie's delight, Donna pulled up to the local restaurant that she always got her waffles from. Tom, whining the whole time, followed them inside begrudgingly, sliding into a booth with them before someone came up to take their order. Their food arrived quickly, and they all dove in, famished from their day at the mall. The pretzels they had earlier were digested by now. 

As they ate, Leslie couldn't help but get lost in thought at what Donna said while they were in line earlier. Ben Wy, thinking she was cute? She's had far less appealing guys find her attractive, why did this particular one bother her so much? It wasn't out of the ordinary. He could be worse too. She frowned before spraying more whipped cream on her waffle. 

Donna noticed, raising her eyebrows at Leslie, silently asking if she was okay when she slammed down the whipped cream canister much harder than she meant to. She gave her a half-hearted nod and a smile before continuing to cut into her waffle. She chewed thoughtfully as she stared out of a nearby window, half-listening to Tom as he babbled about the cute girl he made conversation with at the pretzel stand from earlier. 

Leslie was dazed by the time she and Tom were dropped off outside of their dorm. Donna, set on hanging out with Leslie again, added her on all social media, and threw in her phone number for good measure. As Tom was bounding up to the front of their building, Leslie hung back as Donna gave her encouraging words, telling her to forget about the RA. “If you need anything, girl, you have my number. Tom and Jean Ralphio can definitely be a handful.”

“Thanks Donna,” Leslie said, beaming appreciatively. She stepped away from the car, waving as the Mercedes Benz drove out of the parking lot. When it was out of view, she turned on her heel, styrofoam to-go box in hand as she went inside and waited on an elevator. 

When it finally arrived, she was too busy looking down at her feet, thoughts of Ben thinking she was cute coming to nag her again. She walked forward as she noticed the doors sliding open, and she collided with someone else. Stumbling backwards, her styrofoam box slightly crushing from the crash, she looked up, ready to apologize. 

Ben was looking at her awkwardly, his eyes darting from her face and down to the box. He opened his mouth to say something, but Leslie didn’t give him the chance. She darted around him and quickly slipped into the elevator as the doors started to close. Fury filled her again as she stared blankly at the numbers changing with each floor she passed. She booked it to her room when it finally reached the eleventh floor, ignoring April and Ann’s greetings when she managed to unlock the door. 

Leslie tossed her to-go box on her desk before clambering into her bed, kicking off her shoes in the process. She heard her door open quietly, and she knew it was Ann coming to check on her. “I’m just really tired,” she mumbled before burying her face in her pillow. Ann seemed to have picked up on her energy, and she left her alone. “I’ll be in my room if you need me,” she said before closing the door behind her. 

Leslie lay still for several minutes before flipping over, splayed out on her bed like a starfish. Her thoughts were racing as she glared at the ceiling, but all of them had one main theme: She hated Ben.


End file.
